An excerpt from the upcoming book The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future sheds new light on the dramatic events surrounding Sam Altman’s brief ousting as CEO of OpenAI in 2023. Written by Wall Street Journal reporter Keach Hagey, the book reveals tensions within OpenAI’s board and details the internal power struggle that led to Altman’s firing—and his swift return.
According to Hagey, the nonprofit’s board had grown increasingly uneasy about Altman’s leadership, particularly after uncovering concerns related to an OpenAI Startup Fund that was, in reality, under Altman’s personal ownership. This revelation reportedly raised ethical and governance issues among board members, adding to their doubts about the company’s direction under Altman’s stewardship.
Simultaneously, OpenAI’s chief scientist and co-founder, Ilya Sutskever, along with CTO Mira Murati, had been collecting evidence of what they perceived as Altman’s toxic and dishonest behavior. Murati reportedly gathered screenshots from internal Slack conversations that, they believed, demonstrated Altman’s pattern of misleading statements and questionable decision-making. One specific instance mentioned in the book involves Altman allegedly asserting that OpenAI’s legal department had determined GPT-4 Turbo did not require a review by the company’s joint safety board. However, OpenAI’s top lawyer later denied ever making such a determination, raising further concerns about Altman’s transparency.
Faced with these issues, Sutskever presented the evidence to OpenAI’s board members, who decided to take decisive action. They moved swiftly to remove Altman from his role and appointed Murati as interim CEO. However, their decision quickly backfired, triggering an immediate and overwhelming backlash from within the company. OpenAI employees, including both Sutskever and Murati, soon signed a letter demanding Altman’s reinstatement.
The situation escalated as key stakeholders and investors also voiced their concerns, highlighting Altman’s importance to OpenAI’s vision and stability. Within days, OpenAI’s board found itself in a precarious position, facing immense pressure to reverse its decision. Ultimately, Altman was reinstated as CEO, marking a dramatic turnaround that left the organization in a state of flux. Following his return, both Sutskever and Murati departed from OpenAI, choosing instead to launch their own respective ventures.
The book’s revelations provide a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most shocking leadership shakeups in the AI industry’s recent history. As OpenAI continues to push forward in the race to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence, the events of 2023 serve as a stark reminder of the challenges and internal conflicts that can arise in fast-moving, high-stakes tech organizations.
